Cycling and dog walking, how common is it?

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This story is about cycling to the dogs, not cycling with dogs, but I thought it was a fun photo. By Kerry Lannert. 

AJ LaTrace, who writes Chiboulevards, interviewed the manager of and dog walker with Chicago Pet Sitters, Jared Honn. A lot of the interview focused on how Honn cycles to the dogs he walks. Oh, and how Honn races cyclocross and has tips for cycling in the winter. Do you think this counts as a “bike business”?

Check out Honn’s comments about owning a car and cycling. Do other people feel guilty doing both? I know several advocates of a better environment for cycling in Chicago also owns cars. I don’t think there’s a dichotomy in this situation:

I biked every day for my job for the first two years. I still bike predominantly. Only recently did I get a car, which I purchased so I could get out to bike races in the suburbs or to the velodrome in Northbrook. I’ll use it for work every once and a while when my body is feeling beat up, or if I need to transport dogs. As a cyclist, I feel plenty of guilt and mixed emotions when I’m driving.

Read the full interview. One more excerpt, though:

Biking in the correct clothes is about 99% of winter cycling, from what I’ve experienced.

I couldn’t agree more. If you’ve lived in Chicago for at least one winter, then you already have all the clothes you need.

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Everyone deserves a break. Photo by Incandenzafied. It turns out there’s a group on Flickr with 441 photos featuring biking with dogs

Contributing time, talent, and ideas to Grid Chicago

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Drew Baker is one of over 60 contributors to our photo pool on Flickr. 

We appreciate all of our readers. We appreciate that our readership has grown month after month. Some readers have asked how they can contribute to Grid Chicago. There are many ways!

Social Networking

The easiest way to contribute is to share our articles with your friends and followers on the various social network sites we have. We post on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Google Plus. We’re trying to use these platforms for more than just linking to articles on Grid Chicago. You’ll see links to other stories and websites we find interesting.  Continue reading Contributing time, talent, and ideas to Grid Chicago

Commuter ales: take a car-free road trip to these Metra-friendly brewpubs

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Photo by C. Blatchley

[This article also appears in Active Transportation Alliance’s Mode Shift newsletter.]

A cozy brewpub serving house-made craft beer and hearty fare can be the cornerstone of a thriving retail district, and a magnet for out-of-towners seeking memorable drinks and eats. That’s especially true when the brewery is located a short walk from, or even right next door to, a commuter rail station. Chicagoland is fortunate to have a growing number of snug brewpubs a stone’s throw from Metra stops, making them ideal destinations for a car-free suburban safari. Here’s a guide to some of the best ones, including feedback from the staff about why brewpubs and transit go together like beer and pretzels.

Continue reading Commuter ales: take a car-free road trip to these Metra-friendly brewpubs

North Side Streets for Cycling planning district also looking for additional input

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People cycle on Wrightwood Avenue at Southport Avenue, a street that residents of the North Side district would like to see as a bicycle boulevard. Photo by Eric Rogers. 

John wrote on Tuesday about the West Side district’s efforts for the Streets for Cycling Plan 2020. I just received an email from the North Side district (North Avenue to Howard Street, east of the Chicago River) asking for people’s input. Continue reading North Side Streets for Cycling planning district also looking for additional input

Grid Bits: State of the Union address, transit news

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Photo of a Blue Line train at UIC-Halsted. This train has the oldest cars in the system, noticeable with their “butterfly doors” that are inaccessible to people using wheelchairs, or customers with bicycles. Photo by David Wilson.

In this edition of Grid Bits, five transit stories, and an update on President Obama’s State of the Union address last night. First, the transit news.

(1) CTA overtime

The Chicago Transit Authority uses an employee’s overtime work to calculate their pension amount, and analysis from the Chicago Tribune finds that the CTA reports overtime in an odd way: Continue reading Grid Bits: State of the Union address, transit news

Co-leaders discuss the West Side advisory group for Streets for Cycling

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Steven Lane and Johanna Thompson with a map of the West Side region

As as sub-consultant for CDOT’s Streets for Cycling Plan 2020 to create 150 – 250 miles of innovative bikeways, Active Transportation Alliance has formed community advisory groups in nine regions of the city to collect input from residents. To get involved, find contact info for the advisory group in your part of the town.

Last Sunday I caught up with Johanna Thompson and Steven Lane, co-leaders of the West Side advisory group, responsible for the region bounded by Belmont Street, the Kennedy Expressway, the Eisenhower Expressway and the city’s western limits. They were hosting a drop-in session for community members at New Wave Coffee, 2551 N. Milwaukee in Logan Square, and they filled me in on what they’re doing to solicit feedback from people of all cycling abilities and every neighborhood in their region.

Continue reading Co-leaders discuss the West Side advisory group for Streets for Cycling